The present invention concerns a metallic article having increased wear-resistance. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wear-resistant metallic substrate having bonded to the surface thereof a wear-resistant material including a mixture of nickel aluminide in a copper base matrix and to the method of producing such an article.
Various techniques have been suggested for increasing the wear-resistance of metallic articles. Such techniques include surface hardening of the metal, such as by nitriding, whereas other techniques concern the deposition of a more resistant material on the surface of the article itself. Various carbide and nitride materials have been utilized for this purpose due to their inherent hardness.
One material which due to its hardness and crystal structure was an ideal candidate for bonding to a metallic substrate to increase its wear resistance is nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.2 Al.sub.3). However, when it was attempted to bond nickel aluminide to a metallic substrate many difficulties were experienced. When aluminum from the nickel aluminide comes into contact with oxygen, an inert layer of aluminum oxide is formed on the surface of the concerned particle which interferes with the bonding between the particles and the substrate.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a metallic article having bonded to the surface thereof a wear-resistant material which includes nickel aluminide.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for producing a metallic substrate having bonded to the surface thereof a wear-resistant material which includes nickel aluminide.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following description and claims